Sure, ice is the perfect backdrop for winter holiday displays, but what about a frigid Fourth of July, an icy Arbor Day or a below-zero April Fool’s? In this set of Fifth Avenue windows, Arbor Day, the Fourth of July, April Fool’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Halloween received cool makeovers. To add a frozen look, project leaders commissioned “a large roster of artists and fabricators, including several firms specializing in custom resin casting,” Hoey says.

And, according to a Bergdorf blog post, there’s a dash of fun, too: “Each year one of our holiday windows exhibits a favorite visual trick. Last year’s ‘Follies’ sported a bird’s eye perspective; ‘April Fool’s Day’ pulled out all of the stops with a less-than-subtle prank: an upside-down garden party. Everything – from the swinging primate and dancing bear topiaries to the ragged rows of icicles – is topsy turvy upside-down. How does our mannequin’s Oscar de la Renta gown defy gravity’s weight? That’s a secret she’ll never tell.”

For more first place winners and honorable mentions from VMSD's 2014 International Visual Competition, please check vmsd.com throughout the month of July for parts I-IX.